Child&#39;s book



, April 10, 1951 F. MUHLHAUSER CHILDs BOOK Filed June 29, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENToR.

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pri 1951 F. MUHLHAUSER CHILDS BOOK 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 29, 1948 12g/Zwak n BY. i f c April 10, 1951 F. MUHLHAUSER CHILD S BOOK s sheets-sheet s Filed June 29, 1948 IN VEN TOR.

Patented Apr. l0, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFICE 2,548,043 K CHILDS BOOK Fritz Muhlhauser, Chicago, Ill.

Application May 29, 1948, Serial No. 30,140

3 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in books, and more particularly to an improved childrens book.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a book with a movable member which is moved through and coordinated with the pages of the book so that' a page may be lifted and turned to expose the subsequent page when the movable member is properly positioned on the page, with the remaining p-ages underneath being held in closed position.

Another object of this invention is to provide a means for stimulating a childs interest in the book, where instead of merely providing printed pages, the central or important character of the story is made in a three dimensional object and is secured to the book so that it is moved from page to page as the pages are read. The movable character being positioned with relation to the printed matter on the page so that it appears that the character is xed to the page being read.

Another object is to provide a book with a movable character member' coordinated with the pages of the book so that in appearance a lifelike character is progressively moved through the pages of the book as the story is read.

Another object is to provide a book with a movable member which is moved progressively forwardly in one direction from page to page from the beginning to the center page of the book and then in a reverse direction back to its initial position through the remaining pages of the book.

Other objects will become apparent as this description progresses.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the book in closed position and showing the movable member in its initial starting position.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the book with the cover opened and showing the title page.

Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the rear of the title page and pageY 1, with the movable member moved to its first moved position.v

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a plan view showing pages 2 and 3 and the cutout of the second moved position.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of pages 4 and 5 and showing the cutout of the third moved position.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of pages 6 and 7 and showing the cutout of the fourth moved position.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of pages 8 and 9 and showing the cutout of the fth moved position or the rst moved position in the reverse direction.

Fig. 10 is a plan view of pages 10 and 11 and showing the cutout of the siXth moved position or the second moved position in the reverse direction.

Fig. 11. is a plan View of pages 12 and 13 and showing the movable member ready to be moved to its final moved position which is back to its initial starting position.

Fig. 12 is a View of page 14 and the back cover with the movable member returned to its last moved position or initial starting position.

Fig. 13 is a view of a modified form of supporting the movable member.

The book, generally indicated at 20, comprises a front cover 22, a back cover 24, and a plurality of pages, generally indicated at 25, which are bound together in the conventional book manner. The pages are preferably made of heavy stock paper to provide some degree of rigidity. The layout of the cutouts and the slotted sections of the various pages comprising the book is as shown in the drawings. The story and the illustrations may be imprinted on the pages in the usual maner, but preferably should be arranged so that it bears some relationship to the position of the movable member on the page.

The book cover 22 and all of the pages of the book each have an oval shaped cutout which cutouts are in registry or alignment with each other when the book is closed. All of the aforementioned said cutouts for the sake of uniformity will be designated by the same numeral 30. although each cutout is on a separate page. These cutouts form the starting position, as well as the final return position for the movable member, generally indicated at 28, and more presently to be described. In addition, the other pages of the book have additional cutouts and slots as will now be described.

Page 1 of the book, designated by the numeral 35, (Fig. 4) has an oval shaped cutout 31 positioned to the right of cutout 30, and a slot 38 communicating between the cutout 30 on page 1 and the cutout 3l. The cutout 3l forms the rst forward moved position for the movable member.

Page 3, shown in Fig. 6, and designated by the numeral 30 has a cutout 40 (positioned further to the right than the cutout 37 on page 1) and a slot 4| connecting it with cutout 30 on page 3. Cutout 40 forms the second forward moved position for the movable member. Page 5 shown in Fig. '7 and designated by the numeral 42 has a cutout i3 and a vslot 4d connecting it with cutout 30 on page 5. Cutout 43 is positioned upwardly of cutout 40 on the previous page and forms the third forward moved position for the movable member.

Page '1 shown in Fig. 8 and designated by the numeral 45 has a cutout 46 and a slot 41 connecting it with cutout 39 on page 7. Cutout 46 is positioned upwardly of cutout 43 and forms the fourth and nal forward moved position for the movable member. Page 9, shown in Fig. 9 and designated by the numeral 48 has a cutout 49 and a slot 50 extending from the position of the previous cutout 46 on page 7 and communicating with the cutout 49. Another slot connects the cutout 49 and cutout 33 on page 9. The cutout 49 may be positioned on the page similar to the position of cutout 43 on page 5 and forms the fifth moved position or the first return position for the movable member.

Page 11, shown in Fig. l0 and designated by the numeral 52 has a cutout 53 and a slot 54 extending from the position of the cutout 49 on page '1 and communicating with the cutout 53.

Another slot 55 connects the cutout 53 with the cutout 3i) on page 10. The cutout 53 forms the sixth moved position or the second return position for the movable member.

Page 13, shown in Fig. 1l and designated by the numeral 56 has a single slot 51, extending from the position of the cutout 45 on page '1, to the cutout 39 on page 13. The back cover of the book 24 has a single slot 58, similar to the slot 51.

The movable object which is slid through the slots of the pages, page by page, is preferably though not necessarily a three dimensional object, made to conform to the character of the story printed on the pages of the book. In the illustration shown, a design of a turtle GG is used, which is supported on a post 52 Ywhich extends through the slots. A pair of spaced Washers 63 and 64 are suitably secured to the post and are positioned on the opposite sides of the back cover 24 to slidably support the post and turtle in an upright position and to permit the sliding of same along the slot 58 of the back cover and through the various slots. The post and turtle are preferably irremovably connected to the back cover.

The operation and construction of the book may be best understood by the following description. With the book cover closed, as in Fig. 1, the turtle or whatever movable member is used rests in the pocket defined by the cutouts 39 of each of the pages, but extends preferably slightly above the top of the cover. In this position the book may be opened to any page. However, the purpose of this invention is to stimulate a childs interest to read or have read to it a story in proper sequence through all the pages of the book and to follow it from page to page with the movable member.

The book cover 22 and title page 32 are raised and turned over as in any other book, exposing the back of the title page 33 and page l (35). The story and illustrations as heretofore explained may be printed and illustrated throughout the page and commence if desired on the title page 32 or on page 1 (35). When the book is opened 4to page l, the turtle will be in the cutout 39.

After page 1 is read, the turtle is moved from the cutouts through slot 38 to the cutout 31 on the page shown in Fig. 4. When in this position page 1 may be raised and turned exposing pages 2 and 3, as shown in Fig. 6. If the turtle is positioned in the slot 38, page 1 cannot be opened until such time that the turtle is moved either to cutout 39 or cutout 31. With the turtle in cutout 31, the turtle will be positioned as shown on page 3 and the page will not be able to be turned until the turtle is moved from the position shown through the slot 4! into the cutout 40y on page 3. Presumably only after the page has been completely read will the turtle be shifted or moved in the slot on each of the pages to its next respective cutout to permit turning of the page.

With the turtle in cutout 49, page 3 (39) may be lifted and turned exposing pages 4 and 5, shown in Fig. 7, the turtle being positioned as shown on page 5 until the page is completely read. In this position, as previously explained, page 5 and the remaining pages underneath cannot be turned forward. When the turtle is slid in the slot 44 to cutout 43, page 5 may be lifted and turned, exposing pages 6 and 1, shown in Fig. 8. The turtle is then in the position shown on page 1. After the reading of these pages, the turtle is moved through the bala-nce of the slot 41 to the cutout 45, its fourth and final forward move. Page 1 may then be lifted, exposing pages 8 and 9, shown in Fig. 9, with the turtle in the position shown. Assuming that page 9 is the center or middle page of the book, the succeeding pages of the book should have their cutouts positioned to permit the movable member to travel in a reverse direction from its previous travel so that the movable member is back toits initial starting position when the last page of the book is reached. Before page 9 can be lifted and turned, the turtle must be moved back to the cutout 49 through the slot 53.

After page 9 is turned, pages 10 and l1 (Fig. 10) are exposed and the turtle is positioned on page 11, as shown in Fig. 10. To lift and turn page l1, the turtle is moved through slot 54 to the cutouti 53. With page 1l lifted, pages 12 and 13 are exposed, as shown in Fig. 1l, with the turtle in the position shown on page 13. After the turtle is slid from that position to the cutout 39 on page 13, it is then back to its initial starting position and page 13 may be turned, exposing page 14 and the back cover, shown in Fig. l2. This completes the cycle of travel of the movable member forwardly and then rearwardly through the pages of the book.

It will be understood that while I have described a book with a limited number of pages, any book with an increased number of pages may be similarly constructed and used with my invention, and that by reducing the spacing between the cutouts, additional space is provided for movement of the slidable member through a book with a larger number of pages.

In Fig. 13 is shown a modified means for sup parting the movable member. In this construction I provide a compression spring 66 secured to the turtle. The opposite end of the spring is secured to a washer G8 which is positioned on the outside of the back of the book. The spring extends through the slots of the pages and the back cover. As the pages are turned up, the compression spring 65 will urge the turtle downwardly to rest on the uppermost page and compensate for the lifted pages. If desired, a grooved covering may be placed on the back cover so that the washers 54 and 58 will be hidden from view.

With the foregoing invention there is thus provided a book having a story book character which can literally be said to walk through the pages of the book as the story progresses. This provides a very fascinating attraction for chil- 5 drens books. Obviously unlimited stories and various movable characters can be thus made and coordinated to provide a continuous series of such books.

It will be understood that various changes may be made Without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A book comprising a plurality of leaves, each having cut-out, with the cut-out on one leaf being positioned out of registration with the cut-out on the leaf immediately preceding or following, each of said leaves having a slot communicating with the cut-out therein, with the slotsv of succeeding leaves being of progressively increased length and with the slot of one leaf being aligned with the slot of a succeeding leaf, and a movable element having a size smaller than any one of said cut-outs so as to pass therethru and supported on a member movable in said slots when the same are alined.

2. A book comprising a plurality of leaves, each having a slot cut therein with the slots of succeeding leaves being of progressively increased length and with the slot of one leaf being alined with the slot of a succeeding leaf, each of said leaves Yhaving a cut-out connecting with the end of the slotV therein, the cut-outs of said leaves being out of registration with each other and being so disposed that the cut-outs of succeeding leaves are spaced at progressively increased distances from the beginning ends of said slots, and a movable element having a size smaller than any one of said cut-outs so as to pass there thru and supported on a member movable in said slots when the same are alined.

3. A book comprising a plurality of leaves, each having a slot cut therein and spaced from the marginal edges of the leaf with the slots of succeeding leaves being of progressively increased length and with the slot of one leaf being alined With the slot of a succeeding leaf, each of said leaves having a cut-out connecting with the end of the slot therein, said cut-outs being out of registration With each other and being so disposed that the cut-outs of succeeding leaves are spaced at progressively increased distances from the beginning ends of said slots, and a movable element supported on a member movably longitudinally in said slots and in superposed relation to the top leaf of said book, said element having a size smaller than any of said cut-outs so as to pass therethru, said element being movable into registration with the cutout of the top leaf so that said learn may be lifted or turned.

FRITZ MUHLHAUSER.

REFERENCES CITED Number Name Date 2,186,486 Shaler Jan. 9, 1940 2,272,858

Werkheiser Feb. 10, 1942 

